Nothing Some Batter Won't Fix
by wallflowerwriter
Summary: Cass's dad is a jerk, and Steph decides to cheer Cass up. Subtly? Naaah.


**A/N**: For nativehueofresolution, who asked for Steph and Cass bonding.

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing. Unfortunately.

* * *

"So. Where's the kitchen?"

Cass blinked at her uninvited guest but smiled. Pointed to her left.

"Excellent. Here, carry this," The blonde thrust one of her many grocery bags into her best friend's arms before heading off in the pointed direction. "Do you have a waffle iron by the way?"

"Yes."

"Oh, good. I thought about bringing mine, just in case, but," Steph shrugged. "I didn't."

Cass shook her head and walked over to the counter, presenting the waffle iron itself with a grand flourish. "Ta-da! What're you making?"

"_You_? Please. _We're_ making waffles!" She pulled out some ingredients from her bag. "I'm guessing you don't have much in the way of flour or sugar so I came prepared. We could make these the healthy way, but what's the fun in that?"

Cass smirked. "Certainly not your way."

"Exactly. I even brought my mom's recipe! First off, eggs. Oh, crap."

The brunette opened the fridge before Steph even finished speaking. Pulled out a half-empty carton of eggs. "I also have milk."

"You are a life-saver. Crack two of those guys and whisk like your life depends on it."

"Lots of life metaphors."

Steph looked up at her from pulling out the baking powder, vegetable oil, and other ingredients. "I guess I've been thinking about life lately. More like death, actually."

Cass paused from her whisking and waited.

"It's been a week since my dad died. And I still keep thinking there should have been a point to it," Steph shuffled the rest of the ingredients from the bags and threw them away. "Like he should have realized the error of his ways or. Something. It's stupid."

Her friend opened her mouth to say something, but the blonde beat her to the punch. "Not that what I'm feeling is stupid. Just this whole situation is stupid. I couldn't care less about Dad when he was alive, apart from stopping him, and now. Now he's dead, and there's nothing I can do, but I can't stop thinking about it."

Cass's eyebrows furrowed. "So. What? You think you should have done something?"

"No, I know that much. But maybe. If he had lived just a little longer? What's the _point_ of dying anyway?" Steph stopped and shook her head. "I came over here for you."

"Me?"

"Your dad. Heard you had a run-in with him."

"From whom?" Cass tilted her head. Thought about it. "Barbara?"

Steph nodded, opening a bag of chocolate chips, took a handful. "Life sucks sometimes."

"Then what?"

"Then," She handed her the opened bag. "We make waffles."

Cass grinned. "Right. Eggs have been whisked. Next?"

"Next we add in the flour. Where are your measuring cups?"

Cass blinked at her.

"Crap again. I could run back home oooooor" She handed her friend the whisk and started pouring in the flour. "we estimate. I'm sure it'll be fine. Yep ,that looks like two cups. Okay next. Milk. Sure, looks right. Sugar and some vanilla. Then oil; holy crap, this is way too much liquid. Let's add more flour. Don't laugh, Cass, I mean it."

"These are gonna suck."

"Nooo, _life_ sucks. These are going to be delicious. Wanna know why?"

"Yes."

"Chocolate chips." Steph proceeded to pour half the bag in.

The ex-assassin narrowed her eyes at her. "That's way too much."

"It'll be fiiiiine."

"You keep saying that."

"Because as cheesy as it sounds, it will be. Right?"

Cass dropped the whisk and wrapped her arms around Steph. Whispered "Right" in her ear and paused, thinking, before she spoke. "I told Cain that if he killed another person, I would kill him."

Steph squeezed her back, and Cass continued. "Then I asked him what my birthday was."

She backed away a little so she could meet Steph's eyes, and they both broke into laughter - Steph, until she cried. "We're a mess, aren't we?"

The brunette nodded. "We'll make it though. Unlike our parents did, we will make things right."

"Or at least better."

"Better is good," Cass picked up the bowl and walked over to the waffle iron. Sniffling a little. "I have never used this thing."

Steph laughed and dried her eyes with her shirtsleeve. "Why do you even have one?"

"It was here before I was."

"And you don't have measuring cups?" Steph plugged it in and turned it on. "That's weird."

She glanced at the cabinets and started opening them, one by one, until she came to the cabinet by the microwave. "Oh." A pause. "Cass? Do you know what measuring cups are?"

"No."

Steph pulled a black set out. "These - _these_ would be measuring cups."

Cass grinned. "Hey! You found 'em!"

"Such a brat."

"Not my fault."

The iron beeped, and Steph _hmph_ed at her. "Hush. Now it's the fun part. Pour the batter in each square, nice and slow, until it's pretty full and then go on to the next square."

"Okay, got it," The iron sizzled as the batter met the hot metal, and Cass reveled in the smell and sound of it. "These are gonna be great."

"Told ya. Now, we close it and wait for it to beep twice."

"Why twice?"

"The first beep isn't long enough. The waffles will be too gooey," Steph shuddered. "We need the chocolate melted and the outside crunchy."

"Yum."

"I know, right?" Steph pulled out two plates and forks. "And we've still got enough milk to drink. The perfect _pièce de résistance_ to this meal."

The first beep sounded, and Steph shook her head. "See? That is just _not_ enough time."

"Shameful."

Smoke started to steam out, and Cass gave Steph a wary glance. "It's not supposed to do that, is it?"

"Probably not."

"It'll be fine?"

"Fast learner."

Cass grinned, and when the second beep sounded, at Steph's instruction, she carefully lifted the lid. More smoke poured out, and Steph used a fork to slide the giant, misshapen, and admittedly oddly colored waffle onto a plate. She cut the thing in half and slid her half onto another plate before handing Cass the fork and her plate. "Dig in!"

The daughter of David Cain and Lady Shiva cut off a bite (admittedly mostly of chocolate chips) and bit into it. "Perfect."

"Told ya it would be."

Cass nodded. "Yes. Yes, you did."


End file.
